In various types of electrical power distribution systems, meters for measuring electrical power consumption, both commercial and residential, are usually provided with rearwardly-projecting contact blades or terminals for insertion into and frictional engagement with a meter socket having spring jaw connectors. Periodic testing of such meters is required to determine their accuracy in measuring power consumption, usually by mounting the meter in a meter socket. The meter, when mounted in the socket, is usually held in place by a meter ring which clamps a meter flange to a support member associated with the meter socket, or by a cover plate having a peripheral aperture for receiving the meter housing, the periphery of which aperture covers the meter flange.
The meters are usually tested in a meter test board or warmup board as they are usually referred to in the industry. These boards contain a considerable number of sockets for receiving and holding a number of meters. The meters contain batteries and remain energized on the board to save the batteries until the meters are needed for an actual field installation. Therefore due to the number of such sockets in each board, it is preferred that the sockets without meters be secured from accidental contact by the test meter personnel.
In certain types of procedures where it is necessary to provide temporary electrical power to the meter socket without a meter mounted in place, or where it is desirable to bypass the meter socket, it is occasionally necessary to provide a jumper member for connecting the live terminals of the meter socket to the load terminals of the meter. Although such procedures may be accomplished with jumper cables or connectors, such procedure leaves the contacts exposed to the weather and also capable of accidental or unintentional contact by testing personnel or other personnel unaware of the exposed electrical potential.